Analects 13.26 · Zi Lu
“The exemplary person is composed but not arrogant; the petty person is arrogant but not composed.”
Meaning, context, and how to apply it today
君子泰而不驕 小人驕而不泰 (jūn zǐ tài ér bù jiāo, xiǎo rén jiāo ér bù tài) means “The exemplary person is composed but not arrogant; the petty person is arrogant but not composed.” It is a passage from the Analects of Confucius, Book 13 (Zi Lu), Chapter 26.
君子泰而不驕 小人驕而不泰
- Pinyin
- jūn zǐ tài ér bù jiāo, xiǎo rén jiāo ér bù tài
- Translation
- The exemplary person is composed but not arrogant; the petty person is arrogant but not composed.
- Source
- Analects, Book 13 (Zi Lu), Chapter 26
What does this passage mean?
The twenty-sixth chapter of Zi Lu contrasts the exemplary person and the petty person through composure and arrogance. Composure is a calm, unhurried ease; arrogance is looking down on others. The exemplary person is secure within and so is composed before others without being arrogant, while the petty person, who can only establish himself by comparison with others, is arrogant and yet perpetually anxious. Zhu Xi explained that the exemplary person follows principle and is therefore always at ease, whereas the petty person is driven by desire and, however he shows off, is uneasy inside. The passage points out how different the roots of two outwardly similar attitudes can be.
How can we apply it today?
Confidence and arrogance look alike on the surface, but their roots differ. Real confidence comes from within, so it has no need to belittle anyone. Arrogance can be maintained only by standing above others, so it is always comparing and always anxious. When results are good, some people become kinder to their juniors and others become haughtier, and a crisis reveals the difference. The composed person is unshaken by failure; the arrogant person collapses at the smallest setback. Ease won by comparison with others is not ease at all. Only those who live by their own standard can be composed.
Questions to reflect on
- ·Does your confidence come from within or from comparison with others?
- ·When things go well, do you grow humbler or haughtier?
- ·Have you ever been outwardly assured but inwardly anxious?
Character-by-character breakdown
| Character | Pinyin | Meaning | Strokes | Radical |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 君 | jūn | ruler | 7 | 口 (mouth) |
| 子 | zǐ | son | 3 | 子 (child) |
| 泰 | tài | composed; dignified | 10 | 水 (water) |
| 而 | ér | and; but | 6 | 而 (and) |
| 不 | bù | not | 4 | 一 (one) |
| 驕 | jiāo | arrogant | 22 | 馬 (horse) |
| 小 | xiǎo | small | 3 | 小 (small) |
| 人 | rén | person | 2 | 人 (person) |
| 驕 | jiāo | arrogant | 22 | 馬 (horse) |
| 而 | ér | and; but | 6 | 而 (and) |
| 不 | bù | not | 4 | 一 (one) |
| 泰 | tài | composed; dignified | 10 | 水 (water) |
Frequently asked questions
Q. What does “The exemplary person is composed but not…” mean?
君子泰而不驕 小人驕而不泰 (jūn zǐ tài ér bù jiāo, xiǎo rén jiāo ér bù tài) means “The exemplary person is composed but not arrogant; the petty person is arrogant but not composed.” It comes from the Analects, Book 13 (Zi Lu), Chapter 26.
Q. Where does this passage appear in the Analects?
It is Analects 13.26: Book 13 (Zi Lu), Chapter 26.
Q. How can this teaching be applied today?
Confidence and arrogance look alike on the surface, but their roots differ.Real confidence comes from within, so it has no need to belittle anyone.